The invention pertains to the general field of mechanical devices, such as gasoline or diesel engines and, more particularly to a structure and method for pre-lubricating a device or engine before it is started.
Most vehicles, and especially trucks which are driven long distance for extended durations of time require their engines to be rebuilt after accumulating a certain amount of miles. To extend the rebuilding time the engine is often left running during rest stops or the like. This is due to the fact that the cost of fuel is considerably less than the wear that occurs from cold starting the engine, and because most of the wear and tear occurs during the initial engine starting. Many oil additives are available to help solve this problem, however a pre-lubrication system is considered to be the most effective method for reducing wear on the engine.
By pre-lubricating the engine before starting, metal-to-metal friction within the engine can be minimized, and a cost saving realized by not having to rebuild the engine due to failed or insufficient lubrication.
For the same reason, the engine of a truck that is stopped for a lunch break or the like can now be turned off, as the engine will be pre-lubricated before starting. This will save on fuel, thus lowering the cost of transporting goods and reduce pollution by not running a diesel or gasoline engine when it is stationary for an extended period.
A pre-examination search did not disclose any industry catalogs or publications as well as U.S. patents that read directly on the claims of the instant application.
The pre-lubrication system is designed to lubricate a mechanical device or a gasoline or diesel vehicle engine (hereinafter xe2x80x9cenginexe2x80x9d) prior to starting the engine or after Periods of rest or no operation. By pre-lubricating the engine, the wear and tear on engine components which predominantly occurs when starting the engine is minimized, thus extending the useful life of the engine. The system can be started manually or automatically when the engine oil pressure reaches a pre-set low oil pressure. A low oil pressure can occur during extended periods of slow moving traffic, rest periods, or an oil pump malfunction/failure.
In its basic implementation, the pre-lubrication system functions in combination with a vehicle engine oil filter, a vehicle battery, and a vehicle engine that is modified by adding an input port and an output port. The system is comprised of a system starting means that is activated by the vehicle battery and that is followed sequentially by a pre-lube oil pump, a check valve, the vehicle engine oil filter, and a vehicle engine adapter that connects the system to the engine via the added engine input port. To complete the oil flow and oil circulation the added engine output port is connected to the pre-lube oil pump.
To enhance the utility of the invention the pre-lubrication system can be modified to include a battery trickle-charging subsystem, a vehicle engine warming subsystem, and a vehicle battery warming subsystem. All the subsystems are operational only when the vehicle engine is off.
The battery trickle-charging subsystem, which become operational when plugged into a utility power source, allows the battery to remain at full charge when the battery is connected to the system. The vehicle engine warming subsystem operate in combination with an engine heating element, that is enclosed within the engine pan, and a heating element thermostat. When the thermostat senses that the engine temperature has dropped to a pre-set detrimental level it close. This closure then allows the vehicle battery to energize the engine heating element which heats the engine for a pre-set time interval. The battery warming subsystem consists of a low-power vehicle battery heating element that is designed to be Positioned near or around the battery or the batteries surrounding structure. When the battery thermostat sense a pre-set drop in temperature, the thermostat closes which then allows the vehicle battery to power the battery heating element and heat the battery for a pre-set time interval.
In view of the above disclosure, the primary object of the invention is to produce a system that either manually or automatically pre-lubricate an engine prior to starting the engine or when the oil pressure drops below a preset detrimental level.
In addition to the primary object of the invention, it is also an object to produce a system that:
by pre-lubricating the engine before starting minimizes the metal-to-metal friction wear and tear on the engine,
prolongs the system the useful life of an engine,
saves fuel by not operating a diesel or gasoline engine when a vehicle is parked for an extended period,
is easily installed, and
is cost effective from both a manufacturer""s and consumer""s point of view.